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Casablanca - History |
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The
town was occupied by the French in 1907, and during the French
protectorate (1912-56) Casablanca became the chief port of Morocco. Since
then, the growth and development of the city have been continuous and
rapid. During World War II the city was the seat of a British-U.S. summit
conference in 1943. In 1961 a conference at Casablanca, presided over by
King Muhammad V of Morocco, founded the Casablanca group of African
states.
The
rapid commercial progress of Casablanca, especially the growth of its
port, has established it as the economic capital of Morocco. It accounts
for more than half of the bank transactions and industrial production of
Morocco. Casablanca's industries include textiles, electronics, leather
works, food canning, and the production of beer, spirits, and soft drinks.
Fishing is important in coastal waters, where a fairly wide continental
shelf provides a good fishing ground. The catch includes soles, red
mullet, turbot, sea eels, crabs, and shrimps.
Casablanca
has Arab and French schools at different educational levels. There are
also various cultural and utilitarian institutes, such as the Goethe-Institute,
the Municipal College of Fine Arts, the Municipal Library, a prehistory
society, an institute of fishing, and a horticultural society.
As
Morocco's principal centre for recreation, Casablanca has a number of
pleasant beaches, parks, and attractive promenades along the seafront.
Pop. (1982) 923,620 |
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The
origin of the town is not known. A Berber village called Anfa stood on the
present-day site in the 12th century; it became a pirates' base for
harrying Christian ships and was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1468. The
Portuguese returned to the area in 1515 and built a new town called Casa
Branca ("White House"). It was abandoned in 1755 after a
devastating earthquake, but the 'Alawi sultan Sidi Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah
rebuilt the town in the late 18th century. Spanish merchants, who named it
Casablanca, and other European traders began to settle there. The French
after a time outnumbered other European settlers, and the name Maison
Blanche ("White House") became as common as Casablanca.
The
man-made port of Casablanca is protected from the sea by a breakwater and
handles most of Morocco's foreign trade. It is also a port of call for
European ships; Boulevard Hansali, which leads to the port, is
lined with
shops for tourists. Inland from the docks and the harbour is the old
medina, the original Arab town. Still enclosed in parts by its original
rampart walls, it is a maze of narrow streets and whitewashed brick or
stone houses. In a semicircle outside the walls of the medina is the town
built by the French. Avenues radiating from Muhammad V Square are
intersected by ring roads that reach to the coast on either side of the
harbour. Muhammad V Square, near the gateway of the old medina, and
United Nations Square are the business and administrative centres of the
town, where banks, hotels, and large modern shops are located. Farther
south, overlooking the gardens of the Park of the Arab League, is the
white Cathedral of the Sacré Coeur. West of the park and stretching
toward the coast are the gardens and villas of residential districts, such
as Anfa. Large numbers of poor Muslims live in shantytowns (bidonvilles)
on the outskirts of the city.
Buses
are the principal means of public transport. Roads connect Casablanca with
other major cities. There is also a railway line that runs north-eastward
into Algeria and Tunisia. The Casablanca-Anfa airport, to the southwest,
and the Casablanca-Nouaceur airport, to the east of the city, provide
international services.
